Dietetics and Nutrition Services

Our Dietitians will help you achieve your weight management and healthy eating goals with personalised and expert advice. We understand your frustration as you battle with diets that are impractical to follow for extended periods of time, and on most occasions leave you feeling defeated before you have even achieved your nutrition goals. We teach our clients healthy eating principles that you can use for life: it’s not just another short-term ‘diet’.

We begin with a comprehensive consultation where we review your medical history, analyse your body composition, help you establish realistic goals, and assess your current eating habits. You’ll go away from your consultation with a personalised and practical dietary plan that fits your needs and lifestyle – an essential key to your weight loss success. Follow-up support in the form of individual reviews is also available. We also run group based education workshops - refer to our workshops & programs page for further details. 

We offer the following services; 

• Dietitian
• Medicare Enhanced Primary Health Care Plan Scheme
• Type 2 Diabetes Group Intervention (Medicare Allied Health Group Services)
• Department of Veteran Affairs Private Consultations
  

Dietitian Services

Our Dietitians are all Accredited Practising Dietitians (APDs) with the Dietitians Association of Australia (www.daa.asn.au), and have tertiary qualifications and the necessary skills to provide you with the most up-to-date, expert nutrition and dietary advice. We will guide you through the wide variety of nutritional and dietary information and help you understand how it is relevant to you and your needs.

Our Dietitians are qualified to provide expert advice and to develop or modify 'eating plans' to treat many issues/conditions such as:

General

• Overweight, obesity, malnutrition or underweight
• Food allergies or intolerances
• Vitamin or mineral deficiencies

Chronic Disease

• Diabetes – Type 1 and Type 2, Gestational Diabetes, Impaired glucose tolerance, Insulin resistance
• Cardiovascular disease - Angina, Ischemic Heart Disease, Coronary Artery Disease, Stroke, post Heart Attacks/Myocardial Infarction
• Arthritis and Gout
• Osteopenia and Osteoporosis
• Cancer

Gastrointestinal

• Reflux
• Heartburn
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Diverticular disease
• Dairy (Lactose) Intolerant
• Gluten Intolerance (Coeliac disease)

Women issues

• Infertility
• Pregnancy and Post natal
• Menopause
• Thyroid/Adrenal Gland

Children/Teenagers

• Overweight, obesity, malnutrition or underweight
• Food allergies or intolerances
• Vitamin or mineral deficiencies
• Dairy (Lactose) Intolerant
• Gluten Intolerance (Coeliac disease)

Our Accredited Dietitians are available for private consultations and are recognised providers with Medicare, Department of Veteran Affairs and most Private Health Funds.

Medicare Enhanced Primary Health Care Plan Scheme

This scheme enables people with complex medical conditions to receive rebates for health services provided by Dietitians accredited with the Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA).

 

With the inclusion of dietetic services under the Medicare allied health initiative, this means the public have greater access to professional services for physical rehabilitation and disease prevention. Our Accredited Dietitians provide advice and information on health eating habits aimed to manage current chronic diseases and to prevent the development of new chronic diseases or co-morbidities appearing. Our Accredited Dietitians can improve the health of people with chronic and complex medical conditions such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and arthritis, to name a few.

 

To be eligible to receive a Medicare rebate for Dietitians services, clients will need to be referred by their GP and have their health managed through an “Enhanced Primary Health Care Plan (EPHCP)”. Eligible clients will be entitled to a maximum of five (5) allied health visits per calendar year, including dietitian services. Each of the five visits currently attracts a Medicare rebate of $50.05.

 

If you comply with each of the following criteria, you may be eligible to receive dietician services under the Medicare Scheme:

• People that have at least one chronic medical condition and complex care needs as determined by their GP.
• People that require care from a GP and at least two other health professionals or care providers.
• People that are being managed by their GP through an Enhanced Primary Health Care (EPHC) Plan.

Once on an EPHC Plan your GP can refer you for up to 5 dietician services per year. For more information please see your GP or visit the Medicare website (www.medicare.gov.au).

 

GPs & Medical Centres download the Medicare referral form here.

Medicare Allied Health Group Services for Type 2 Diabetes

Whether you have been newly diagnosed or need a refresher, our exciting new diabetes education program is designed to give you the tools and knowledge you need to take control of your diabetes - and take control of your life! Facilitated by accredited dieticians and exercise physiologists we offer a multidisciplinary approach to educating people with Type 2 Diabetes on how to better manage their condition through the self-management and allied health support.

Our seminar run for 2 hrs per week over a 4 week period and covers a combination of educational and practical components designed to help patients understand:

• General overview of type 2 diabetes,
• Nutritional principles and guidelines,
• Improving blood glucose control,
• Effective use of glycemic index and glycemic load,
• Food labelling,
• Weight management,
• Physical activity guidelines,
• Exercise strategies.

The program format can be modified and changed to suit the audience. We are able to design seminars specifically for indigenous, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities and other groups with specific needs (i.e. pre-diabetics/impaired glucose tolerance, Type I Diabetes or newly diagnosed with diabetes). Our group seminars may also target specific aspects of diabetes management or for different stages of the diabetes continuum (i.e. weight loss, managing CVD, insulin therapy in type 2 diabetes).

Eligibility

To be eligible for this group education program, a patient must:

• Have type 2 diabetes,
• Have a relevant care plan in place; and
• Be referred by their GP for an assessment to determine suitability.

Patients who do not meet the above criteria are also welcome to register in the program, but they will be required to self-fund. Private health funds may provide rebates - please contact your health fund for details.

Individual Assessment

All prospective participants must be assessed before commencing a group program. This includes taking a comprehensive patient history, identifying individual goals and preparing the patient for an appropriate group program. The assessment will also determine the patient's suitability for group services.

Clients download a Medicare information sheet about this program here.

GPs & Medical centres download a Medicare information sheet about this program here.

Download our Type 2 Diabetes Education flyer here.

For more information or to discuss a referral please contact us on 1300 881 536 or info@merendi.com.au

GPs & Medical Centres download the Medicare Allied Health Group Service referral form here.

Department of Veteran Affairs Consultations